(Moody Marly warning~ Is really the warning this one needs...Really...it is so calm from here out, a little pervy, but calm~)
5.
Vexen couldn't respond with his chest heaving as it was. All he could do was lazily pet Marluxia's fluffy, pink head of hair. He cracked open one eye and looked at his rose, who now lay snuggled up against his now-warm body. I hope you liked that as much as I did, thought the scientist. The aftershocks of a few moments ago were fading now, but could still be felt as the embodiment of Winter lay there with Spring at his side.
I'll take that as a yes, the rose thought, feeling Vexen practically pet him. He purred slightly at the feeling, though he did stop himself. Or maybe he just did not have the strength to do so right then, his breathing deep and slowly going back to normal. He simply wrapped one arm around the Academic now—Winter almost felt warm to him now, and he found that thought oddly funny yet comforting.
Eventually getting his own breathing under control, Vexen turned onto his side as well and let his arm rest comfortably across Marluxia's back and his thumb draw gentle circles on the Assassin's toned muscle. His other hand still stroked Marluxia's head as Vexen slowly leaned to place a light kiss over his rose's closed eyes.
"Nn, dieu, Vexen," Marluxia purred deeply feeling the Scientist draw circles over his back; his body was still immensely sensitive, and it would be for some time. He had calmed his breathing though for the most part, his nails raking down the blond's back without much care, softness draining away from his own touches.
The Academic's back arched under Marluxia's nails, his own nerve endings still on fire. A choked moan escaped Vexen lips feeling his rose claw at him like that. "Yes...?" he managed to say while he still tried to make his speech coherent again.
"Better," Marluxia purred finally hearing Vexen speak, almost laughing. His sense of vanity clouded his judgment again, nails stopping only once above the Scientist's waist, "Feels good, ne, professeur?"
The scholar thought about how ironic it was that the neophyte—whom he had once thought held no respect for him at all—now had the audacity to address him as "teacher." Four bit his lip and slightly narrowed his eyes down at Marluxia. "Mh...it does, my protégé," responded Vexen, putting more pressure on Marluxia's back.
Protégé, Marluxia thought about that one slightly or more so the translation. Wondering if Vexen did find it odd at all that he was calling him "teacher". In truth the neophyte was not even fully sure why he was. He just was—it was not even because of respect, and it was not an endearing title, so why? "Nn, really?" he questioned softly, head tipping back at the feeling of more pressure to his back, "Ne, professeur, fatigué?"
Vexen wondered himself just how much he had left in him. He shrugged his shoulders and responded, "Well, if you continue what you're doing I won't be tired for much longer."
Marluxia slipped his hands away from Vexen's back now; he had barely even realized what he was doing to begin with, worried instantly if he had hurt the blond or not. "Ne, sorry, Vexen," the rose whispered, his blue eyes finally opening when he looked up at the Scientist again, "You should sleep then."
"Don't apologize," answered the Academic, keeping his hand on the flower's back. "If anything I should be asking you that question. Are you very sore?"
"It-it's nothing I can't handle..." the rose only whispered back, looking away from the scientist now. "I recover quickly, don't worry about me though." He was almost trembling as he spoke, "Only worry about yourself, professeur."
Vexen hated when Marluxia got like this. "Hush. I should think at this point I'm entitled to have some degree of concern for you, correct?" inquired the scholar, trying to stop the Assassin from shaking in his arms.
"No, you're wrong," Marluxia replied instantly, his hands grasping onto Vexen's arms now as he tried to move away slightly, "I don't want you to be concerned about me, got that, professeur?"
Brow furrowing, Vexen gave Marluxia's arms a retaliating squeeze to hold him in place. "And why would that be, my love?" pressed the scholar, leaning in until they were nose-to-nose, piercing green eyes focused on the quivering Marluxia.
"Please, Vexen," Marluxia whimpered, his blue eyes closing tightly. His head tipped back slightly in a feeble attempt to get away from the blond, "I don't want mon amour to be sad."
"You also said that you hate being alone, isn't that right?" asked Four softly but firmly, not advancing any further. "So why in the name of oblivion do you choose to debase yourself like this? You're not some object!"
"You could never understand, Vexen," Marluxia whispered back, turning his head to the side as his eyes opened slightly. "I am fine with being an object. It makes so little difference if I am or not, so I might as well just be one." His voice was back to its usual monotony, and any sense of the happiness or pleasure he had felt even just a minute ago gone from his face, even.
The scholar shook his head. "How can I understand if you don't let me at least attempt?" he began. "And I'm not 'fine' with it. You're constantly on my case about taking care of myself and whatnot, yet you don't think yourself deserving of the same luxury?"
"I want to be owned. Got that, Vexen?" Marluxia almost hissed those words, "And I do take care of myself; that has nothing to do with being an object or not." He looked back at Vexen as he spoke, glaring.
"That's not what I meant, Marluxia," replied Vexen. He can be so pig-headed at times, thought the scholar as he continued staring intensely into Marluxia's eyes. "I'm referring to the fact that you worry about me so much, yet you shy away when I try to reciprocate," Four explained.
"Professeur..." Marluxia whispered leaning forward slightly, drawn into the blond's green eyes for a moment before he shook his head. "I'm not...used to it. That is the reason. I'm not used to being worried about," the flower replied, since that was just how things were to him.
"Neither was I, at first," replied Four, loosening his grip. "But I eventually did get used to it, and you should as well...because I love you." His voice was soft at this point, trying to calm his lover down, but as a force of habit the Academic's pale face colored at his last few words.
"Idiote." Marluxia laughed softly, eyes softening from their previous glare, "You're always worried about, you just never noticed," he whispered, letting go of the blond's arms now, "I-I'll try though, love. I'll try." He leaned closer to the blond now, moving to kiss him. "Je t'aime."